Village to Village

We are now being hosted through Village to Village International Ministries. We need approximately $6,000 in order to send our paperwork to Latvia.  If you could spare any 'change' each week, please go over to Village to Village and make your tax deductible donation to help us bring Vita home. Giving up a soda or coffee every day would equal about $7-$10. Every little bit helps. Thank you SO VERY MUCH!!!
We also have puzzle pieces left if you'd like to purchase one for $10.

Village to Village International - DeJong Family

Happy Mother's Day

Today I feel so blessed!! So thankful for my 4 angels who made me a mommy!! Thankful for angel #5 -14 years old - who will make me a mommy again - hopefully soon! We have been gone the last few days - visiting with family! So happy to see my brother, Richie and his family. They are relocating to NC from MI - and we are so thankful! As a result of this move, I got to kiss on and love on my new nephew, Drake, who is such an angel as is his big sister, Madelyn. So, after not getting the mail the last few days, I checked it today when we got home after church. The best Mothers Day 'card' EVER was in the mail - our immigration approval!! HALLELUJAH! Thank you Jesus!! Now, to move forward - - maybe a few fundraisers, hopefully some grant approvals, and maybe a few donations. We are so anxious to get this paperwork sent off. One special girl is waiting on us, and we don't want to miss anymore time loving on her than we have to! So pray with us that God will provide! Thanks for your support and prayers through this process.

Cattle on a Thousand Hills

We are in the process of applying for several grants that we pray God will use to help fund the next leg of our journey to bring our girl home. Please pray that God will provide. We have a couple of very large expenses due before we can move to the next step. Once we are approved by immigration, we can send our dossier to Latvia, but we have to have paid all of our adoption agency fees first (in the neighborhood of $7,000). We also need to be prepared to leave for our first trip to Latvia when they approve us and tell us when our court date is ($8,000 + plane tickets). So, we need God to sell one of His cattle on a thousand hills! We trust that He will do this through one or more of these grants, and through special donors like you!! It has been amazing to watch God work through this journey. It is one thing to talk about faith and watching God do the impossible, it is quite another to be in the midst of it. God is so good!

Good Friday

Good Friday - - Such a strange name for such a 'sad day' of history. The day our Savior died! But looking back, it was a GOOD FRIDAY! The best GOOD that was EVER done for mankind - was done over 2,000 years ago!! It was a bit bittersweet today for us as we celebrated the life of my uncle. He left a legacy of faith, hope,love, perseverance, and humility to his children and grandchildren - and it was WELL portrayed by his son today! As far as the adoption goes, we got our receipt in the mail from immigration saying that they had received our paperwork. So, now we wait - - again! ;) We also received some $$ from one of the grants for which we applied! Thank you JESUS! Praying for V this weekend - as we celebrate our Savior - I pray that she'll have some sense that it is a special day! We introduced her to Jesus and taught her about His birth while she was here during Christmas. I can't wait for next year to teach her about his death, burial, and resurrection. (Well, we talked about that while she was here, too - but to celebrate it with her on Easter Sunday - teaching her at the same time will be AMAZING!! We still have a long way to go to raise our needed funds to be able to send our paperwork to Latvia. If you feel lead to give, please visit our fundraiser page and click the donate button! Every dollar, every penny puts us one step closer to bringing our girl home!! Thanks for your prayers! Love to you all as you celebrate our Savior this weekend!! Be sure to share it with others! Remember - Jesus is ENOUGH!!

Monday, Monday

Well, I just wanted to take a minute to write a short 'blurb'. Several things on my heart this morning as I took a walk in the cool morning breeze: My uncle Ed, my dad's brother, passed away yesterday afternoon as he napped in his chair. This comes in the midst of so much trial and heartache for their family - but we are rejoicing that he is no longer in pain. Please continue to pray for them - that God would comfort them during this loss and give them the strength they need to make it through the week. (especially, Kent, who has cancer);Our friends Mark & Lisa Tribble. Lisa was in a car accident a week ago and she remains on the vent. 14 broken ribs and 2 broken ankles will make for a long recovery but we know the Great Physician who is ABLE to do ALL THINGS; a few friends who are in the midst of big decisions - life changing decisions. May God give them wisdom and guidance; my cousin Ashley and my sister-in-law, Stephanie, who will be having babies any day now. Praying for Holt & Drake as they make their entrances into this world. May they grow to be men after Your own heart, God. Thankful to God that his mercies are new EVERY MORNING!! After my wonderful walk, enjoying the beauties of spring, I have spent most of the morning working on paperwork-mounds of paperwork. Every time I get frustrated or tired of signing my name - I just look at the sweet face of our girl - and get renewed energy to keep on keeping on. Besides our 'legal' paperwork, we are also working on grant applications. Be praying that the people who receive these applications will feel led to approve us for the grants. Every little bit helps. Now begins the waiting game!! So, we wait for approval and pray. Thanks for the prayers and words of support for so many of you! May God bless your families as we enter into a time of reflection on what Jesus did for us on that cross!!

Next step taken

We mailed our home study off today! Should be received tomorrow. Now the waiting begins - AGAIN!!! Please pray specifically for a few things: 1-pray that our paperwork will be received tomorrow by the most compassionate, christian agent in the CIS - one who has a heart for children and christian ministry; 2-pray for V - that she'll feel our love over the miles and feel in her heart that something GREAT is about to happen; 3-pray that we will TRUST God while we WAIT!!; 4-pray that if any questions arise before our approval, we will be able to answer them satisfactorily; 5-pray that God will continue to multiply our 'fundraising'-about to get to the BIG FUNDS! ;) Thanks for all you have done so far and for your prayers!! We serve a great GOD who is 'able to do above and beyond all we could ask, think or imagine'. (Eph 3:20)

They Are HERE!!

Yay! May not seem like much to most people - BUT - our Passports arrived today! This means ALOT to us for SEVERAL reasons! #1 - we can complete our home study; #2 - a completed home study means we are ready to send paperwork to Immigration; #3 - a completed home study means we can apply for all of the wonderful grants out there to help us complete this process; Finally - and most importantly - When they send us the invite to come get our girl, we can leave the country!!! :) Next prayer request - pray for us to get a WONDERFUL, GODLY Immigration agent!! Pray that our paperwork will go through w/o a hitch!! Thanks for your prayers!